Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Of gentle mien; of pleasant manners; courteous; affable; attractive; gay; light-hearted.
Wiktionary
- adj. Gracious, courteous.
- adj. suave, urbane and sophisticated
- adj. charming, confident and carefully dressed
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Characterized by courteousness, affability, or gentleness; of good appearance and manners; graceful; complaisant.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
- adj. having a sophisticated charm
Etymologies
- Middle English debonaire, gracious, kindly, from Old French, from de bon aire, of good lineage or disposition : de, of (from Latin dē; see de-) + bon, bonne, good (from Latin bonus; see deu-2 in Indo-European roots) + aire, nest, family; see aerie.
Examples
“The term debonair was indeed coined for Powell, and Lombard makes for an adorable ditz.”
“Agnes is said of agna a lamb, for she was humble and debonair as a lamb, or of agnos in Greek, which is to say debonair and piteous, for she was debonair and merciful.”
“Ricardo Montalban (88) actor best known as the debonair and mysterious Mr. Roarke on the popular TV series”
“Ricardo Montalbán, a Mexican-born actor who starred in Hollywood dramas and candy-colored musicals in the 1940s and '50s and was perhaps best known as the debonair host of the TV drama Fantasy Island and as pitchman for the "soft Corinthian leather" of the Chrysler Cordoba, died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure.”
“Nancy Pelosi looks great, and Obama is "debonair" and has never been more bone-able.”
“The term "debonair" must have been coined for Powell, and Lombard makes for an adorable ditz.”
“As I said before, with your "debonair" pose and that flower in your lapel, you look a little limp wristed.”
“Then there’s Chief Otto Sanchez, and he is what I would call a debonair man with a flair for theatrics, his character is one you can’t help but like even when he calls criminals “evildoers” in such a dramatic fashion.”
“Today's "debonair" incorporates charm, polish, and worldliness, often combined with a carefree attitude (think James Bond).”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘debonair’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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She did what?
For a more inclusive list, see sionnach's tom, dick and harry.
Also see the list Bad Sentences by abigail.katydid, Hollywood, june bug, June bug, Maryland, Marywood, Marymount, joy ride, joystick, barbet, barbwire, pennywhistle and 62 more...
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trait treats
efficacious, garish, implacable, intrepid, soporific, somniferous, fetid, lurid, undaunted, debonair, quiescent, fabulist
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Chelsea's list
acedia, braggadocio, abnegation, equanimity, flibbertigibbet, edentulous, debonair, hypnotic, pococurante, logorrhea, euonym, feckless and 23 more...
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queer decadence
decadent, sybaritic, effeminate, languid, dubious, happy-go-lucky, eccentric, bizarre, rantipole, devil-may-care, slaphappy, debauched and 8 more...
reesetee It would be a nice complement to "Hats Off!" :-) Mar 20, 2009
bilby I say make a list of hat uses, Milos. Mar 20, 2009
milosrdenstvi "Hats. They have two purposes: to be doffed and to be worn at rakish angles."
From a Facebook group...what can I say? Mar 20, 2009